Activites

• 2008/12/24 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Decision 2008/1349
  • OJ L 348 24.12.2008, p. 0113
• 2008/12/16 Final act signed
• 2008/12/16 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2905
• 2008/11/20 Council Meeting
• 2008/11/20 Act adopted by Council after Parliament's 1st reading
• 2008/09/02 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T6-0369/2008 summary

    The European Parliament adopted by 601 votes to 47, with 16 abstentions, a legislative resolution under 1st reading of the co decision procedure, amending the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1719/2006/EC establishing the Youth in Action programme for the period 2007 to 2013. The report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Katerina BATZELI (PES, EL) on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education. The amendments were the result of a compromise between Parliament and Council. The Commission had proposed eliminating the advisory procedure for selection decisions in order to simplify decision-making procedures in the interests of potential beneficiaries of the grants. However, Parliament considered that in order to allow selection decisions to be implemented more quickly and efficiently, it was necessary to replace the advisory procedure with an obligation on the Commission to inform the European Parliament and the Member States without delay about any measures taken for the implementation of Decision No 1719/2006/EC without the assistance of a committee.Accordingly, a new clause states that the Commission shall inform the Committee and the European Parliament, of all other selection decisions taken by the Commission for the implementation of the Decision, within two working days of the adoption of the decisions in question. This information shall include descriptions and an analysis of the applications received, a description of the assessment and selection procedure, and lists of both the projects proposed for funding and the projects rejected for funding.Parliament added that the Commission shall report to the European Parliament and the Council on the impact of the Decision 18 months after its entry into force.

• 2008/06/27 Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
  • A6-0274/2008
• 2008/06/24 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 2008/02/21 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• #2848
• 2008/02/14 Council Meeting
  • 2848 summary

    Following an exchange of views, the Council adopted key messages in the field of education and training addressed to the European Council on 13 and 14 March in Brussels. The key messages highlight a number of actions and issues that need to be drawn to the attention of the European Council at this critical stage for the implementation of the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs. They mainly concern the implementation of lifelong learning strategies and invite Member States to take concrete action to: (i) address the lack of progress on youth literacy and reduce the number of early school leavers; (ii) improve achievement levels among migrants; (iii) make the teaching profession more attractive to the best graduates; (iv) encourage more adults to take advantage of education and training opportunities, namely:the knowledge triangle (education, research, innovation): Member States must particularly emphasise the crucial role of education and training in promoting creativity and innovation;intercultural dialogue: underlining the importance of equipping individuals with the competences needed to engage in such a dialogue;transnational mobility, which should become common practice in higher education and be developed further in the field of vocational education and training.In addition, the Council invited the Commission to submit by the end of 2008 a proposal for an updated strategic framework for European cooperation in the field of education and training. The debate covered the following items in particular:the importance of basic skills and teacher training;the effectiveness of the open method of coordination and the role of peer learning, indicators and benchmarks, particularly with regard to the EU strategy for the post-2010 period;the particular issue of early school leaving, and the means that can be used to address this problem, including increased support for disadvantaged schools, closer teacher-parent cooperation, mentoring schemes and special attention for the children of migrants.

• 2008/02/07 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2008)0056 summary

    PURPOSE: to reduce the time required for awarding grants covered by the “Youth in Action” programme, 2007-2013.LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.BACKGROUND:  this proposal relates to the legislative act establishing the Youth in Actionprogramme 2007-2013 and its implementing powers. In order to implement the programme’s objectives, namely to promote active citizenship, to encourage tolerance and to foster understanding between young people, the Commission relies on its implementing rights as expressed through “comitology” procedures. This is particularly pertinent in the case of selecting grant projects following calls for proposals.To recall, the Commission’s right of implementation is set out, inter alia, in Decision No 1999/468/EC. In this Decision a number of procedures are set out including the “management” procedure and the “consultation” procedure. Both of these procedures involve the participation of the European Parliament. Under the consultation procedure, the Parliament has one month in which to examine a draft measure before the Commission makes a formal decision. Under the terms of the Youth in Action programme, the “management” procedure is applied in cases relating to the “European Youth Forum” only. All other decision are not subject to a comitology procedure. Wording in the Decision, however, implies that the “consultation” procedure should be applied to all other measures. The current wording can cause serious problems by delaying the adoption of decisions – some times by up to two to three months. Yet, in general, the projects affected are of a short-time frame only. With Parliamentary consent, temporary solutions have been found in order to reduce the time required for scrutiny. Nevertheless, it is important that a long-term solution is put in place in order to prevent unnecessary delays.CONTENT: the purpose of this proposal, therefore, is to amend Council Decision 1719/2006/EC, setting up the Youth in Action programme, in order to find a definitive solution.The wording of the amendments has been framed so that the consultative procedure will disappear and be replaced, on the basis of a Commission declaration, with a procedure whereby the Commission provides the programme committee and the European Parliament with immediate information on the selection decisions which it adopts.The proposed amendment will mark a return to the system in force under the Youth programme from 2000-2006, which provided for the committee and the European Parliament to be informed immediately of the same decisions as those currently under discussion. This arrangement is fully in line with the legislator’s original intention when the Decision was being negotiated. Upon approval, the amended Decision will make it possible to reduce, by two to three months, the time required for grants to be awarded and to ensure effective implementation of the activities and measures covered by the programme. The programme committee and the European Parliament will be informed immediately of the selection decisions. It will also help strengthen the principles of simplification and proportionality.A similar revision of the basic instruments establishing programmes on (i) education and (ii) citizenship and (iii) culture, is planned in parallel with this proposal.

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/', 'title': 'Education and Culture'}, FIGEĽ Ján

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2008)0056
• Debate in Council: 2848
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A6-0274/2008
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T6-0369/2008
• : Decision 2008/1349
• : OJ L 348 24.12.2008, p. 0113

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)